


king's gambit.

by xisanamii



Category: Noblesse (Manhwa)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betrayal, Gen, i mean i may be a hoe for the nobles and you probably expected this, i thought i should make it obvious this is a noble-centric fic, it's a PARTY everyone, more will be tagged as they come but for now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22828354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xisanamii/pseuds/xisanamii
Summary: "i have forgotten my dismal memories. to the empty days that lie before me, i bid farewell. now, you will not touch me with your dirty hypocrisy."
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	king's gambit.

**Author's Note:**

> aaaaa i had a hard time deciding what to write but hopefully i can actually finish this AU :') i actually was able to outline the first two chapters which makes me feel really good about being able to finish hdkfhdsfkjds although i'm not sure how long this will actually be, i'm trying to aim for below ten chapters??? maybe??? who knows... i do know i aim to make each chapter longer than this one, aiming for 5-7k but that's... very ambitious of me
> 
> anyway updates will be sporadic but i'll try to be consistent monthly i think idk sdjkfhdskjfdsh WRITING IS HARD
> 
> summary inspired by ham's english lyrics for re:birthed - give it a listen after you read this chapter B)

He finds the princess alone in the rose garden. Razark Kertia bites his lip, wondering if he should be approaching her at such a delicate moment in noble history. In just thirty minutes, the Previous Lord and a handful of family leaders would be entering voluntary eternal sleep. Razark’s own father is included in that group **\--** he had said his goodbyes earlier and would be able to in those last moments.

But what of the princess?

“Lord,” he calls out. He sees her flinch and he also feels tempted to clip his mouth for that slip. She is not Lord yet and he’s only reminded her of what is to come. “I- I apologize, I meant-”

“It is fine,” she interrupts. Turning towards Razark, he gulps when they meet gazes. Right now, she is only a few inches taller than him. He hopes in due time he will be able to grow more so that he can be stronger and be a worthy family leader for her. “What did you need?”

His heart rate accelerates. Internally, he’s thinking that he’s been obstinate, he is not worthy, but in the same beat he drops to one knee and bows at his waist.

“I, Razark Kertia, will be at your side forever.”

Raskreia blinks in surprise. When he looks up, he sees a strange haze over her eyes before it’s shaken away.

She gives him one of her rare smiles, small but beautiful all the same.

“Thank you.”

“And-” He coughs. Holding out his hands, resting on his palm is a single _lapis lazuli_ earring.

“Is this… the other half? ” She asks, and he hears amusement laced into her words. His face flushes and he rubs the back of his neck, thinking back to when he had been younger, more impulsive, and certainly not lacking in eagerness. The foolish heir-apparent of the Kertia clan had the audacity to give the heir-apparent of Lukedonia a half complete gift back then.

Perhaps it was by her grace she had not minded it.

“I had thought now was a good time to finish what had been started,” he replies. What he doesn’t expect is for her to immediately replace her current pair with the ones he gifted her -- now a complete set. The blue contrasts against her eyes, but ruby is a gemstone far too common to be given to someone as extraordinary as her.

She gazes upon him, expectant, and a compliment rises on his tongue before the Lord steps into the garden, beckoning his daughter to come. Raskreia tilts her head into a bow before running off to join her father.

The soon to be Previous Lord gives Razark a stink eye, and the latter coughs apologetically in response.

_**Now**_ , it is time, and all the family leaders - both current and prospective, are gathered in the throne room.

The hand of a father rests gently on the crown of her head. Raskreia glances up, her apathetic visage glimmering with unspoken sadness. Yet the Lord knows - he always does, aware of the silence implied by his only daughter. Surrounding the pair is a solemness reserved for all the parents leaving their children too - they are not the only ones.

Yet Raskreia finds it hard to focus on others when her own grief drowns her. This feeling in the pit of her stomach feels awful and she wonders why she cannot get rid of it. 

Her father summons Ragnarok, folding her unwilling hand around the hilt.

“This is goodbye, my sweet daughter,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “The nobles are now in your hands. But worry not - as you know, Gejutel will be staying behind. The other family leaders will also support you.”

“I know,” she replies. But she cannot feel herself expressing any type of joy. “But you are not.”

He laughs. “I’ll be here.” Tapping the blade of their soul weapon once, he hums. “Closer than you think.”

Then she watches as he slowly fades away into nothing but red particles of light, all being absorbed into her soul weapon. At once she feels a surge of energy, a warmth enveloping her entire being. The Previous Lord has entered eternal sleep, and in his place, a new Lord has been crowned.

When she turns, all the nobles are on their knees. Even the ones older than her that chose to stay behind as well - for some reason, her sorrow is replaced with wistful complacency. 

“You may rise,” she speaks. “It has been a long day. I will allow you all a respite before summoning you all tomorrow.”

She is the first one to begin walking to the door. She barely makes it halfway, however, when there’s a loud explosion and the floor beneath her shakes. 

It takes a moment for her to register the outbursts of the other nobles. She’s frowning as she turns, wondering what has happened, when all she sees is smoke.

“Lord, let us go.”

A hand tugs her away from the carnage but she protests.

“No, what have they done?!”

Her vision is hazy. Black meets red in a clash before she’s further tugged away. A thought fills a space in her mind. Realization dawns upon her, but she does not like it.

“I thought they would support my decision,” she murmurs. 

“Parting is a sweet sorrow, my Lord. We must leave now, but perhaps in time they will come to understand that we cannot be bound by chains.”

“Hey, if we’re going to leave, we’re doing it now!”

Raskreia watches, sadness and anger and that twisting feeling of betrayal piercing deep into her soul. She's guided to the door when  Razark intercepts, placing himself between the door and the family leaders. “Let the Lord go  _ now _ .” His normally calm disposition is stricken with rage as he wields Kartas in both hands.

“Razark, why are you stopping us? Are you not coming?” Raskreia asks. Her question wipes the anger completely from his face and it’s replaced with shock instead.

“Lord, what are-”

“ _Move_ , puny brat.”

Gradeus lunges at Razark and kicks him to the side. The unexpected strike in addition to the power from a family leader of the previous generation buries him in the wall. Raskreia follows the path with her eyes, crimson hues glowing. A stray thought enters her mind then.

“He has betrayed me.”

Gritting her teeth, she looks away and swings Ragnarok, demolishing the door before them.

“Let us go, Lagus. There is no place for me here.”

“Yes, my Lord.” A toothless grin plants itself on his face as he escorts the Lord out, followed by her six loyal followers.

Raskreia thinks she can hear protests. And her heart wrenches into a knot all the more painfully. Perhaps she had been a fool to think that Razark… that every single one of the family leaders would support her decision. How wrong she had been.

_ There is no future for the nobles in Lukedonia _ , she thinks numbly.  _ I cannot stay here. _

And her mind continues traversing that dark haze, with nothing but the weight of her soul weapon in her hands. 


End file.
